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I looked at Frankie. “Anything you can do about that?”

“‘Fraid not. Shapeshiftin’ magic’s outside the fae wheelhouse.”

There had to be a solution to at least that problem. The sea witch couldn’t be the only one capable of such magic. I’d have Aaron and Rin?—

My lungs seized. Fuck, it was going to be difficult not including Rin for some time. Although it might be a good distraction for him, help him feel useful in a new way. He was a valuable asset, regardless of his magical abilities or lack thereof.

Internally, I sighed. As much as I enjoyed the benefits of being a wealthy man, I didn’t crave the power that came with it. I didn’tneedit the way Ichiro had. Some men built empires. I preferred to dismantle them, brick by bloody brick.

But men like Ichiro never stopped.

Power wasn’t just a throne they sat on. It was an addiction. A sickness. A god they served until it devoured them.

And in this world, the ones who fell hardest were never the monsters themselves. It was everyone standing in their blast radius. I thought of Bree and the time we’d lost. The future we might still lose.

History has always been shaped by men who thought the rules didn’t apply to them. Kings like Ateleíotes. Dictators. CEOs. Mob bosses.

Presidents.

They always wanted more—more land, more loyalty, more blood.

And the worst part?

They usually got it.

Until someone, finally, lit a match.

Only this time?

Iwould be the match, and I would burn it all down.

THE END